GirlFromCo you sound very positive, glad to hear it. This holiday will be an odd one as I approach one year. Starting to hear about this year's office party which was the trigger last year for me to end up here in SR.

Hope you are all well!

You guys approaching one year now are simply amazing!
Gonna be an odd kind of Christmas for me without Mrs. Hooped around.
But I'm not going to drink.
:147:
We never get too much snow up here on the coast.. just 4 months of rain. Yuck.
Hang in folks.

I've had that Christmas Hooped—the first one after separating. It was definitely weird. So many emotions—sadness, relief, regret, hope. I think the fact I was drinking made it worse. Instead of dealing with my feelings, I just kind of stewed in them, magnifying the negative and adding a large measure of self-pity.

My hope is that you'll find peace and strength in being sober this Christmas. That goes for everyone else, Decemberists!

By the way, I highly recommend checking out the new She & Him Christmas album on Amazon or iTunes. Pretty cool spin on classic holiday tunes...

Drinking stole my imagination! I remember one December afternoon last year I had been sitting in bed reading SR for a few hours, and I tried to imagine what life would be like if I wasn’t drinking anymore. It was really hard to do! In fact, I couldn’t do it at first. It took several weeks to begin visualizing a life without those things. I had no idea what I would do or be, and I couldn’t change until I had a vision of myself living a different life. It’s funny, almost one year later, I’m basically living in those first tentative dreams. I did incredible things I never thought I could do! Now there are new things that seem impossible to me, and the stuff I didn't think I could do last year is so easy. I have a feeling that I can't get anything done until I can imagine it first. If I can practice something by imagining it, I lose the some of the fear. Historically, fear has kept me from doing almost everything not biologically required for survival and sometimes not even then, lol.

Awesome post GFCO

The old alcoholic voice came out of nowhere again last night knocking at my door. It's been calling less and less lately the more sober time I accumulate but last night it was like getting a phone call from an old friend who wanted to drop by for a visit.

Things are different now though. My relationship with my old 'friend' soured years ago. Our good times together are ancient history. With all the work I've done I now had the tools to decline the 'visit'. Not only can I imagine my life sober now but I realize that I'm worth it.

It was still there though, the urge. Surprisingly strong. Right out of nowhere. I'm grateful now to have the tools to let that wave flow right over me without picking me up. Not only can I imagine my life sober now, but I know I deserve it.

Got up real early here today (sober) to see if I could catch the lunar eclipse. It was too cloudy out earlier to see much but I think I'll take my coffee outside now and check it out again.......
:c015:

Hi everybody, great posts to read everyone. keep it up.

Sunny chilly day here in DC, heading out to do some xmas shopping. Buying for adults is not easy!

Yay Hooped :) You put a smile on my face!

Good to see everyone doing so well. :)

Decorated the tree this weekend. First time sober in many years. Maybe it's the lights or music, but I totally associate it with drinking. I had a few fleeting visions of blinking lights reflected in a wine glass, but for the most part, I was able to just enjoy decorating the tree with my daughter, without any thoughts of alcohol competing for my attention.

It occurred to me later that may be the among my last "first time sober in many years" milestones, because I was already a couple of weeks into recovery when I took the tree down last year. Bit by bit, this new way of life is becoming the more familiar and comfortable way of life.

In other news, I think there's a skunk living under my house...

Ewwww... a skunk as a houseguest for Christmas?
Skunks (and drunks) like to hang out together R&A.
You might have more than one party crasher there...lol

Nope, just a skunk, judging from his little tunnel. I put some chicken wire over the opening, so in theory he can push is way out, but won't be able to get back in. We shall see...

From what I read online, skunks are actually an OK critter to have around. They keep to themselves, won't try to get into the house, and chase other critters away (which is how I discovered him—he had an early morning brawl with a cat or raccoon under there, and in the course of all the commotion, he let loose with a bit of musk. No biggie—it totally dissipated in a couple hours. Even so, I hope he'll be settled in new digs by Xmas!

I'm feeling the holiday spirit. The music and decorations and crisp winter weather make me more grateful than ever to be free of addiction's grip. It can knock on my door, but it can't get in.

that makes me think of Little Richard R&A...



D

Nice, Dee—I have it playing as I type this!

and on that note (♪ woooooooooo ♫ )

time for a new thread lol

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-part-9-a.html

D